Straightening your teeth isn’t always just about cosmetically enhancing your smile. It can also dramatically improve your bite and also help you maintain the health of your teeth. That’s actually what prompted Joe to get his teeth straightened. Getting a smile that he’s confident to share was a bonus – no more half smiles!
When Joe decided to straighten his teeth, he opted for Invisalign over traditional metal braces. Ease was a major consideration, but there were a few additional factors. Here’s a little Q & A with Joe regarding his experience with Invisalign over traditional metal braces.
Why did you decide to straighten your teeth?
I’ve had to deal with teeth that were out of alignment for quite some time. When you grow up with it, you just kind of get used to it. Our family just kind of downplayed the value of having properly aligned teeth. It was just ‘well, they work, and you can eat with them, so what’s the problem?’ It wasn’t until maybe two or three years ago where I felt it just made things more difficult. Brushing your teeth, flossing, when your teeth aren’t really in good alignment, it makes everything more difficult.
Why did you choose Invisalign vs. traditional metal braces?
Because it is nowhere near as invasive as traditional braces. I did look into traditional braces for correcting my teeth. But I’ve had a couple family experiences, because some of my family members have had traditional braces, and they hated it. It seemed very uncomfortable. You have a lot more visits. It takes longer And none of that really was appealing to me. When Dr. Pickel recommended Invisalign, I was actually really interested in it, because it’s something that I’ve wanted to do for some time. Having that availability of a low pain, low discomfort way of correcting my teeth was something I’ve been wanting for a long time.
A co-worker at a previous job who had done it, and nobody even knew. It was completely transparent. Which was great. I didn’t have to worry about walking around with braces, and think about what I’m going to eat. There’s just so much more care you have to take with braces and with Invisalign I didn’t have to do any of that. * Compared to Metal Braces – Here are 5 Reasons to Choose Invisalign!
What were the biggest benefits for using Invisalign?
Getting the Invisalign trays was a painless process, and swapping out those trays from week to week was a zero effort kind of thing. It was just set it and forget it, essentially. The other thing I really loved about it was how with Invisalign you can see your progress. You don’t really notice it with braces because they hide everything all the time. But with Invisalign I started to really see how things were changing about six weeks into the process. It kind of builds excitement because you can see how things are getting better over time.
And there’s no maintenance. With traditional braces, there’s little rubber bands, or there’s springs, you’ve got to update, and take care of. There are certain foods you really don’t want to eat at all. I didn’t have to think about any of that. It was just, you put your trays in and you forget about it. The best thing about it was there was no drama, no difficulties. It was extremely smooth and. There were never any hiccups or anything. It was just really low maintenance.
What was the treatment process like?
They scanned my teeth and then I was back in the office for my first tray. When I was doing it, it was about once a week that I got a new set of trays. To start, they have you wear the same trays for two weeks just to kind of get the teeth used to moving around. And towards the end of the treatment they do the same thing to get the teeth to start solidifying their position. But during the thick of it, it was just regular, steady progress; using the new set of trays, putting them in. Sometimes on the first day of a new tray there’s a little getting used to it, and there’s a little bit of discomfort. But honestly, after a day, everything’s back to normal.
How long was your invisible Invisalign treatment?
It was just a little over a year and we finished up with the last of the trays. Now I’m using just the retention trainers, which is just for getting everything to kind of stay in place.
How has Invisalign influenced your life since your treatment?
It’s been a really great transformation. It’s definitely changed the structure of my face. And it’s funny to see how before I would smile, but it was always a small smile. I never really did a full face smile, so there’s a certain amount of confidence that’s come with it, which is great. I don’t think about how I’m going to smile when I’m around groups of people or anything like that. And it made it easier to maintain my hygiene. Brushing my teeth regularly suddenly became a lot faster and a lot easier, and a lot less labor intensive.
Anyone surprised with your straighter teeth?
When I visited my family at Christmas time, they noticed something was a little bit different about my teeth. I think maybe they just thought I was smiling more. But they were surprised, because they had not really noticed that I had been undergoing Invisalign treatments for a little over a year. When I told them about it, I think a couple of them were a little bit jealous because my niece is wearing traditional braces. So, I was like, ‘yeah, it was super easy; sorry, you guys didn’t do it.’
What do you appreciate the most about Dr. Pickel?
He’s amazing. I feel like whenever I’ve gone there, he’s been super cool. He’s sort of like having your best friend be your dentist, because you catch up with him. He’s doing his thing. I’m doing my thing. Every time I go in there, it’s right back where we left off.
What did you like about the staff and the atmosphere?
I love North Seattle Dental because they have such a relaxed atmosphere, and how they are so professional at taking care of your teeth, and making sure that you understand that taking care of your mouth is not something that’s a complicated process. The work is really efficient, and quick. I don’t think I’ve ever spent any large amount of time there. It’s quiet when you need it to be quiet, or if you want to watch some TV you could do that. They’ve got a nice atmosphere there.
Anything else you’d like to share about Dr. Pickel or North Seattle Dental?
I love them. I swear, if Dr. Pickel ever retires, I’m going to start freaking out.
Whether you want to cosmetically transform your smile or you need to address some orthodontic problems (or both!), Invisalign is a comfortable alternative to metal braces. If you’d like to learn more about how Invisalign can work for you, call (206) 524-1000 to schedule an Invisalign consultation or request an appointment online.
P.S. It’s never too late to get the smile you want. Learn More About the Invisalign Treatment!